Mixing apparatus



B. WLSHAFOR.

MIXING APPARATUS.

. APPLICATION FILED JULY 26, 1916.

Patented J an. 4,1921.

3 SREETS-SHEET i. M

INVENTOR. l KSHAFOR.

WITNESS:

a. w. SHAF-OR. MIXING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26{ I916;

1,364,412. Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

v 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

12' 4 A 20 [Z /6 V fihh Z Y /6 Z 1/6 2 WITNESS: l INVEN TOR. B. WSHAFOR.

ATTORNEY.

R. W. SHA FOR. MIXING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION man JULY 26. |9I6.

Pafented Jan. 4, 1921.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

JNVENTOR.

6? WJHAFOH WITNESS: Z?

RALPH w. snAron," or DENVER,

CORPORATION coLoRADo, Assionoa T0 THE Donn COMPAlifiT a or DELAWARE. t

MIXING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

/ Application filed July 26, 1916. Serial No. 111,380.-

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that L RALPH W. SHAFoR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in thecounty of Denver and btate of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mixing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for mixing a gas with a liquid or semidiquid in the production of chemical compounds.

My'invention is particularly, adapted for" use in the manufacture of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO by the ammon-lasoda process, and in this connection provides an efficient substitute for what is commonlyknown as the carbonating tower.

The primary object of my'invention is to provide in apparatus which operates to agiin.the presence of. a gas or a mixture of gases at any required presstue either above, at, or below atmospheric and to theexclusion of other gases.

\Vith this object in View, my invention consists of an air-tight containerprovided with inlet openings for a liquid or semiliquid-and a gas with which the latter is tobe mixed and saturated, and with discharge openings for the surplus gas and the compoiind-product of'the process.

Rotatably mounted adjacent the bottom of the tank is a mechanism for moving the settling precipitates toward the ingress opening of an air-lift which operates by in jection of the gas used in producing the compound.

The egress opening of the lift delivers in a plurality of distribution troughs which rotate in conjunction with the impelling mechanism and which distribute tlie'raised matter uniformly over the surface of the liquid in the tank.

To obtain a uniform feed, despite possible pressure variations insidethc. container, either a pump of definite displacement is employed or the liquor to be treated is admitted to the container past -a' rcgrulab.

able automatic stant head,

The conduit connected; with the discharge opening oi the'tank is sealed and provided with an automatic checc valve toprevent the inflow of air at this phint.

e: By ad'ustmcnt of the valves and possible -'.'ariation in the feed head. the teed anddismarge can be varied in accordanw with the semi-liquid by means of and predetermined mixing process is carried on within the c0n-, tainer. I J The gas with which the liquid'or semiliquid is mixed. and saturated is introduced 1nto the ingress opening, of the before referred to lift by means of a nozzle which connects with a compressor. The surplus gas discharged from the tank is preterably returned to this compressor and a regulatable pressure-valve is placed between the compressor and the source of gas supply with which it connects for the purpose of automatically regulating; the supply of pressure of the gas in the said sotlrceand the pressure at which it is admitted to the contamer. 7

By the above described system of,coiip,- erative devices, the'g'as is ip the operation of my improved apparatus, circulated in a closed system'and it is introduced into the tank at a constant predetermined pressure and is'maintained .at the same throughout the mixing process.

Containers of the hereinhefore described construction may be used in series for the. -repeated treatment of the product. of the process until acompound of the desired pro the gas-feed nozzles and surplus gas-nozzles of the. difl'erent containers are connected by means of manifolds with the compressor..

hen my improved mixing apparatus is used in the nmnut'acture-of sodium bicarsaturated with ammonia gas (Nil is fed into .the' container in the. manner hereinhefore "idescrihed, and carbon dioxid. gas (CO )is-introduced into the lift which operates to agitate and circulate the ingredients until the one is thoroughly saturated with ll'lt!,()hll(l.;

small amount of ammonia escapes from the "containera'nd is returned to the compressor Y or conveyed to a storage tank, andthe product of the operation, sodium hicrrrhoualc, is ilischarg'cilcither into astorapj tank or' into another container in which it is brought.v into'i'nicrmixturc with a fresh supply of dioxid gas.

Patented Jan. 4; 1921.

pressure under which the gas according to the difference in pressure The excess dioxid with perhaps a It will be readily understood by those versed in the art to which my invention appertains that, in the operation of my im proved ap aratus amore thorough inter mixture 0 a liquid-ora liquid and solids.- in suspension with a gas, or a mixture of gases is obtained than is possible in the use valve 17 is connected in the pipesystem beof a carbonating tower of the usual construction, that the cost of'install'ation and expenses of operation are greatly reduced, that the absorption of the gas by the liquids is'more thorough and uniform, and thatthe operation may be carried on underariy de- 2o condition,

sired pressure either below, at or above atmospheric.

In the accompanyng drawings in the various views of which like parts are similarly required pressure in the tank andthc presdesignated, q

' Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of my improved apparatus in its operative Fig. 2, a plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, part oi'the top of the containerhaving been broken awavto reveal the mechanism within the same,

Fig. 3, a sectional elevation of a plurality of containers of my inventionconnected 1n a series for the repeated treatment of the materials to be intermixed, and

Fig. -1, a sectional elevation showing the application of my invention to a tank of the I achuca type.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the reference numeral 2 designates a preferably cylindrical tank or mixin madeof steel or other suitable materia and closed to provide an air-tight container.

Rotatably. suspended from a supporting structure 3 mounted on top of the tank, is a shaft 4 which extends througl'i a stuffing box 5, centrally within the same.

An open-ended tubular conduit 6 secured at the lower end of the shaft, extends inthe vertical axis of the tank with its ends separated from the top and bottom surfaces of the same to provide for the ingress and ylower open end of the tubular conduit and and their obliquelydisposed blades impel egress of circulating matter.

The shaft carries a plurality of radially extending troughs 7 which communicate with the egress opening at the upper end of the conduit and which are provided with a number of outlets 8 for the distribution of -matter over thesurface of the liquid contents of the tank.

The rotating tubular conduit carries at its lower end a plurality of radial arms 9 provided with obliquely disposed, transverse scraper-blades 1O Which-move solids which in t e process settle to the bottom of the tank, toward the center of the same.

A nozzle 12 fitted in a central opening in the bottom of the tank extends into the connects exteriorly vat The compressor is fedfrom a conveniently located source of gas-supply 14. through a the top of the tank to receive gas exhausted -,therefrom.

An automatic spring-regulated; pressure the? surplus tween the source 14 and a point-at which the branch 15 is connected therein, to'maintain the gas within the, tankat the pressure at which it is admitted thereto.

I This pressure is varied in accordance with the character of the compound t'ohe' ro- ,duced andis regulated by adjustment 0 the spring of the valve to a resistance substantially equal to the differcnce'betwejen thesure in the source of gas supply. l

The liquid or semi-liquid which forms one .of the ingredient of the compound is admitted to thetank at a point. below a determinate liquid. level througl'i a valve-con;

trolled pipe 18 which at its upper end connects with a supply tank 19 having an overflow 20' to provide a head of constant, pressure.

Instead ofemploying the tank 19, any other equivalent element may of coursebe used. v

The compound-product of the mixing process carried on in the tank is discharged therefrom by means of a pipe 21, the outer end of which is sealed against the entrance of air, by any suitable means such as its submergence in the liquid contents of a recept'acle 22 provided with an overflow 23. p

The end of the pipe within the tank" is preferably turned downwardly below the liquid level, as shown at 24 in Fig. 1 to prevent the escape of free gases with the mixture.

I An automatic pressure valve, is connected in the pipe 21 as at 25 to prevent the flow of liquid into the tank when the pressure withing the same is below atmospheric.

In the o eration of my invention, a liquid or a liqui and solids in suspension, and a gas or a mixture of gases at the required pressure, are admitted to the tankthrough the pi es connecting with the supply tank 19 and the conveying system of which the llb source of gas supply 14 and the compressor 13, formpart.

. C The liquid mass in the tank is cqpst antl maintainedon a level established by the position of the discharge pipe 21 and indicated inFig. 1 of the drawings by the broken line 26.

' A slow rotary movement is imparted to the shaft 4 by' means of a gearing 27 at its upper end, the arms 9, are in consequence moved across the bottom surface of the tank the settling precipitates toward a central pointbeneath the ingress opening at theduit to the egress opening at the upper end ,thereof and compels thelr discharge lnto the distributing troughs 7 which by their rotapy movement in conjunction with the conduit,

10 uniformly distribute the raised matter over the surface of the liquid in the tank.

, The gas, liquid and solids in suspension are thus constantly circulated within the tank and thoroughlyintermixed and the .resultant'compound is discharged from the tankthrough the pipe21,

It will be understood without further ex planation thatthe arrangement'of the Inlet-conduits with relation to the sources of supply, the seal which protects the discharge pipe, and the regulatable automatic pressure valves conjointly prevent the inflow of gases other than that fed through the nozzle 13. and permit of gases being admitted and maintained at any desired pressure eitherbelow, at or above atmospheric. 3

The sur lus gas escaping from the tank through. the opening 16 mixes with that drawn from the source of supply lfl: by the' compressor 13. I

In case of incomplete saturation of the liquid with the gas, the discharge of the tank ma be mixed wit-ha fresh supply of gas as 0 en as required, by connecting two or more of the tanks in a series as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. I

The discharge pipe of each tank, with the exception of that of the last tank of the series, connects with the inlet opening of the 'next adjoining tank which to'this end is placed at a lower elevation and the' nozzles 12 and the gas-escape openings 16 of the several tanks, connect with the com- "ressor through the intermediary of manii'olds 28 and 29. i v

In Fig. 4 of the drawings, my invention has been'illustrated' in connection with a tank of the Pachuca type: The air-conduit 6' is in this form of my invention fixed within a closed container 30 provided with a sloping bottom, and the sweeps 10, the distrilmtingtroughs 7, and the operating meclr anism, shown in Fig. 1, are eliminated.

What I claim and desire tosecure by Letters-Patent is:

1.,Apparatus for producing a gas-and liquid compound comprising a closed container provided-between the top and bottom with an outlet for the compound product, establishing a liquid level and an u per' "gas. space, a source of liquid supp y having an inlet connected with the container below the liquid level, a vertical conduit mounted within the container and extending from the lower portion thereof to a' uct establishing a liquid level and'an upper gas space, a source of liquid supply hav-' liquid compound comprisinga closed con- \point above the liquid level and provided at its upper portion with a nozzle discharg ing into the lower end of the vertical conduit and forming a gas'lit't, pressure ploducingmeans .located between the nozzle and the source of gas sup ly and a return conduit extending from tie gas space of the container and connected Wltl1 tl18 gas supply between the same and the pressure producing means.

2. Apparatus for producing a gas-andliquid compound,- comprising an airtight container provided between the top and bottom with an outlet for the compound proding an inletconnected with container be low the liquid level, a vertical rotary conduit mounted within the container and extending from below a lower portion thereof to a point above the liquid level and provided at the top with outlets and having means operating in the as space for discharging the liquid at intervals and for distributing the discharged liquid over the surface of the liquid within the container, a source of gas supply having anozzle discharging into the lower end of the vertical conduit to form a gas lift, a pump connected with the gas supply for forcing the gas under pressure through the said nozzle, and a return conduit connected with the gas space and with the gas supply between the same and the pump.

3. Apparatus for producing a gas-and- 109 tainer provided between the top and bottom with an outlet for the compound product establishing the liquid level and an upper gas space, a source of liquid supply haw mg an inlet pipe connected with the con tainer below the liquid level, a vertical rotary-conduit tube suspended from the top of the container and extending from the lower portion of the same to a point above the liquid level and provided within the. gas s ace with outlets and having liquid di'stri uting means arranged to dischar e liquid at intervals and distributin the discharged liquid over the surface 0 the liquid within the container and a gas sup- .the nozzle and a return pipe connectingthe' gas space'with the gas supply latter and the pump.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my 1215 signature in presence of two witnesses.

RALPH W. SHAFORQ between the Witnesses G. J ROLLANDET, L. Rnoanns. 

